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Select Board adopts emergency regulation to block large questionable yard‑waste deliveries
Summary
After a DPW presentation that a commercial composter sought to deliver a large, partially processed commercial stockpile misclassified as leaf/yard waste, the Select Board unanimously adopted an emergency regulation to restrict inbound waste while policy and testing procedures are developed; DPW warned of potential $1.2M–$1.7M unbudgeted exposure.
The Select Board voted unanimously Jan. 7 to adopt an emergency solid‑waste regulation after Department of Public Works solid‑waste staff warned of an imminent operational and fiscal risk.
Chris Lowe, DPW solid‑waste manager, said a local contractor discontinued its composting operation and attempted to dispose of a large, stockpiled commercial compost stream at the Nantucket Solid Waste Facility, claiming it met the town’s definition of leaf and yard waste. DPW staff said the material was generated at a commercial composting site (not the site of generation), had been partially processed and lacked documentation or testing to confirm it met the town’s standards.
Lowe said the facility has limited storage and processing capacity and that unplanned deliveries in a short time could disrupt operations and fire‑mitigation work. He showed the financial risk under the new Waste Options contract: town leaf/yard volumes have not exceeded roughly 14,000 tons annually historically, but an unplanned 14,000–20,000‑ton delivery in a single month could impose $1.2–$1.7 million of unbudgeted costs on the solid‑waste enterprise fund.
DPW recommended an emergency ban and restrictions to protect operations and give staff time to draft long‑term inbound‑waste rules consistent with the new service agreement. The board approved the emergency declaration and associated temporary restrictions by unanimous voice vote.
Why it matters: The decision stops acceptance of potentially misclassified commercial material that could exceed operational capacity and expose the town to large, unbudgeted costs while staff develops testing/documentation requirements and long‑term policy.
What’s next: DPW will implement the temporary restriction under the emergency declaration while drafting long‑term inbound waste controls to present for board approval.
